Bowling apparatus.



W. J. POWELL.

BOWLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25.1916.

Patented May 1, 1917.

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WILLIAM J. POWELL, OF OCEAN" CITY, NEW JERSEY.

BOWLING APPARATUS.

Application filed July 25, 1916. Serial No. 111,174.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILLIAu J. POWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ocean City, in the county of Cape May and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bowling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has for an object to provide improved means for setting up bowling pins, adapted to beoperated by the bowler from It has for an important object to enable the use of cords attached to the bottom of the pins and extended through apertures in the deck, as has been attempted heretofore, but accomplishing this in such a manner that a very small amount of cord is required, and the liability of friction and such weight as would 0bj ectionably interfere with the movement of the pin eliminated. It is also an important purpose to obviate the liability of entanglement of the strings one with another.

Another important purpose is to provide a form of connection for operating the resetting cords which will not permit of slack of any of the cords being taken up by movement of pins not attached thereto directly.

Another purpose is to provide a means whereby a greater latitude of movement will be given to the forward pins of a set than to the back pins, where very little movement is required, and whereby the varying degrees of slack in the cords may be readily taken up by the resetting device.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will appear from the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and shown in the drawings, where, 1

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a bowling alley equipped with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a top view of the resetting mechanism, a portion of the deck being broken away thereover.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the deck and apparatus.

Fig. 4: is a detail of one of the pins and its connections.

There is illustrated an alley including a deck 10 of any ordinary construction, hav ing an open space 11 thereunder and at the rear part having a suitable well 12 formed by a sloping floor 13 which forms a continuation of the deck 10, the floor sloping downwardly toward the rear. Suitable pads 15 may be provided if found desirable. The deck 10 is provided at its rearmost portion with suitable spots 16, upon which there are set pins 17 of the usual form. Vertical passages 18 are formed through the deck concentrically with each spot-16 and engaging loosely and slidably through these passages there are resetting cords 19, attached by one end to the center of respective pins, their opposite ends being connected to a resetting vane 20, mounted beneath the deck, as will be described. The resetting vane comprises in the present instance a plain board 21 having trunnions 23 adjacent the rear edge engaged in lugs 24 secured to the under side of the deck or floor 13. The board I is provided at one side adjacent the forward edge with a goose neck piece 25, the forward or swinging end of which is curved clownwardly as at 26. Secured intermediately thereto there is. a spring 27, extended forwardly and suitably anchored to the under side of the deck 10 under tension to hold the resetting vane at the upper forward limit of its movement, where it is checked by a suitable block 28 located at a suitable point to be out of the way of thecord 19.

From the extremity of the gooseneck or downwardly curved portion 26 a cable 29 is extended rearwardly around a pulley 30,

thence forwardly to any desirable form of control lever. The cable may be affixed thereto with or without intermediate rigid elements in such a manner that operation of the lever in the direction desired will draw upon the cable, pulling the goose neck downwardly and moving the resetting vane similarly to tauten'the cords 19. The pivotal axis of the resetting vane is located rearwardly of the spots for the rearmost pins and the resetting vane normally extends forwardly so that the cord attached to the forward pin may be attached to the outer swinging part of the resetting vane, where it has the greatest arc of movement, with the capability of taking up more slack than at its rear part, to which the cords from the rearmost plns are extended. The board 21 extends the full width of the deck beneath the spots 16, and also has a width or dimension longitudinally of the deck corresponding to the distance between the rearmost and foremost spots 16, the cords 19 being extended and connected thereto by any suitable fastenings 31, set in a relation similar to the spacing of the spots 16 of the deck and located immediately in line therewith, longitudinally of the deck. The connection of the rearmost cord 19 with the vane is located a distance forwardly of the pivot of the vane suflicient to cause all the slack to be taken up when the vane is moved to the lower limit of its movement. It is thought desirable to include in the connection with each cord 19 a suitable spring 32 immediately adjacent the vane 20, so that accuracy in the adjustment of the length of the cords will not be required to cause them to draw upon the pins with the force desired.

In operation, it will be readily understood that when. the cord attached to any one or more of the pins is forcibly drawn downwardly through the passage 18 after the pin has been'upset, the pin will be drawn to the spot 16, and caused to move into erect position exactly centered over the opening 18, which, being centered with the spot 16 will insure accurate spacing of the pins on the deck in accordance with the rules of the game. Operation of the vane 20 in the manner described, it will be apparent, will reset any of the pins which have been displaced from the spots.

The device is of an extremely simple construction and adapted to be produced at a low cost. It is also free from liability of easy derangement, and may be readily repaired.

It will be readily understood that the re setting arrangement set forth may be used with various forms of games in which pins are employed, and it is especially useful in connection with a game in which the balls are projected by means of a cue.

What is claimed:

1. A device of the character described comprising a deck having pin spots and passages therethrough centrally of the spots, cords attached centrally to the bottom of the pins, a swinging vane beneath the deck rearwardly of said spots, said. cords being connected to the vane at points spaced correspondingly to the spots, yieldable means to hold the vane at the upper limit of its movement, and means to move the vane to the opposite limit of its movement at will.

2. A device of the character described,

comprising a deck having pin spots therein and vertical apertures therethrough centrally of the spots, respective pins, cords attached centrally to the bottoms of the pins extended slidably through said passages, a vane pivoted beneath the deck rearwardly of said spots having a width corresponding to the distance between the outermost lateral spots and having a dimension longitudinally of the deck corresponding to the distance between the rearmost and foremost spots, said cords being attached thereto in a spaced relation on the vane corresponding to the spaced relation of the spots on the deck, said cords being of a length to lie taut when the vane is at the lower limit of its movement, resilient means to hold the vane yieldably at the upper limit of its movement, and manually operated means to move the vanle to the lower limit of its movement at wil 3. A device of the character described, comprising a deck having pin spots therein, and vertical apertures therethrough centrally of the spots, respective pins, cords attached centrally to the bottoms of the pins extended slidably through said passages, a vane pivoted beneath the deck rearwardly of said spots having a width corresponding to the distance between the outermost lateral spots and having a dimension longitudinally of the deck corresponding to the distance between the rearmost and foremost spots, said cords being attached thereto in a spaced relation on the vane corresponding to the spaced relation of the spots on the deck, said cords being of a length to lie taut when the vane is at the lower limit of its movement, resilient means to hold the vane yieldably at the upper limit of its movement, and manually operated means to move the vane to the lower limit of its movement at will, said connections of the cords of the vane including a resilient element next to the vane.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. POWVELL.

i/Vitnesses:

FLORENCE I-I. WILHELM, ELIZABETH Z. POWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ,Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

